


scream without raising your voice

by ElasticElla



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Light Angst, M/M, Season/Series 02, Unresolved Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-15
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:15:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23658973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElasticElla/pseuds/ElasticElla
Summary: Barry skids to a stop, stomping out the small fire. There’s a dive bar across the road, run down enough that his appearance won’t raise questions, and Barry takes it as a sign, heading in.
Relationships: Barry Allen/Leonard Snart
Comments: 8
Kudos: 73
Collections: What Fen Do (Instead of Going Outside), When Death Loves Flamingos





	scream without raising your voice

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DoreyG](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoreyG/gifts).



> title from u2's running to stand still

Barry runs until his shoes are smoking, and he knows it’s dumb to run without the suit, but- he just can’t be home right now. Not where – his Dad is _finally_ free, but he doesn’t want – all those stupid daydreams about Dad moving in with the Wests, about their family growing – Barry runs faster, wind whipping against his face. 

Runs until his muscles tire, until the burning rubber smell is too thick to ignore. Barry skids to a stop, stomping out the small fire. There’s a dive bar across the road, run down enough that his appearance won’t raise questions, and Barry takes it as a sign, heading in. 

Inside there’s a few dozen people, and thankfully he doesn’t recognize anyone from either of his lives as he makes his way to an empty table. It takes a small eternity before a drink is placed in front of him, and he downs it fast, ordering another with fries. It might not do anything, but the placebo effect is a go, especially in a place like this, at a time like this. He feels on edge, wants to do too many things that he can’t. Not with his powers, and fuck, this was a terrible idea. (Not that he has a better one.)

The room’s energy shifts, and Barry looks up to see a familiar face approaching. 

“How’d you find me?” he asks, the why doesn’t matter like it usually would. 

“Perks of running the city.” Snart looks him over slow, eyes narrowing on his glass, “Thought that didn’t work on you anymore.” 

“Not the way it used to,” Barry answers, eating a fry. “D’you um, nevermind.” 

“Spit it out Scarlet.” 

“What do you do when it’s all too much?” 

“Don’t know what you mean,” Snart drawls. 

Barry rubs his forehead, "Everything is messed up- the city, my family- I can't sort it out."

He steals a fry, "You trying to tell me to rob a bank Barry? Simplify matters?" 

"No!" he exclaims, a little too loudly judging by the looks he gets from the handful of other patrons. 

His lips twitch, “It's fine. I like the game Barry, it's no fun when you're a push over. You should talk to your people about the touchy-feely stuff.” 

Barry winces, Snart’s right of course, it’s like he forgot who the man was for a moment in favor of him being an outsider. Iris would tell him to talk to his Dad about what’s bothering him, Joe would probably say the same, and Cisco would let him ignore it in favor of eating pizza and gaming all night. (The morning over twin bowls of cereal would be another story.)

But he doesn’t want to have that conversation with his Pops, doesn’t even need to; he knows how it’d go. Barry would end up guilting his Dad into staying in Central even though he doesn’t want to, building a new type of prison for him. God, he’s such a terrible son--

“When’s the last time you got laid?” 

“I- _what_?” Barry sputters. 

Snart raises an eyebrow slowly, “Sex Barry.” 

His face is on fire, like he’s in high school all over again, and he fights to keep his eyes level with Snart, to not look around for nonexistent eavesdroppers. 

“I can’t, not with the, uh, night job.” 

He rolls his eyes, “It’s only sex. Nothing to get all woe is me angsty hero about. Go find a pretty stranger and-”

“No,” Barry interrupts, face burning even brighter. “I mean there’s an identity issue with it.” 

Snart pauses, and Barry can see the moment the light bulb goes off, a small smile curling up. “Why Barry, just how many talents are you hiding?” 

His gut flips at the almost flirtatious tone, and Barry can’t – bangs his knee on the table as he stands up abruptly. 

“I uh, forgot about a thing. I have to go.” His weight shifts awkwardly, he should have run out, not waited around for a reply. 

Snart blinks slowly, head cocked to the side. “All right. Find me if you need a little… hands on help with your problem.” 

Barry only just manages to leave the bar at a regular human pace before running all the way to his room. 

_Holy shit._

Snart propositioned him. 

Iris would never let him live it down (not after he tattled on her in sixth grade about the resident ‘bad boy’ Warren she was dating), Joe would kill him, Ollie would actually kill him.

Snart propositioned him and he _ran away_.

Barry face-plants onto his bed, groaning into the pillow. He is the least smooth person on the planet, it’s no wonder there’s been a dry spell since the lightning struck. 

His mind unhelpfully flickers back to Snart at the bar, reminding him just how quickly he could return and take him up on it. But then he thinks of something far worse, smothering himself with the pillow:

The next time Captain Cold pulls a heist is going to be the absolute _worst_.


End file.
